<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Tackled by an Arcanine by inksmachine</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498105">Tackled by an Arcanine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/inksmachine/pseuds/inksmachine'>inksmachine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Kalos-chihou | Kalos, M/M, Pining, Red and Ash are Siblings, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum is 15, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:08:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,305</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/inksmachine/pseuds/inksmachine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ash suddenly gets tackled to the ground by an Arcanine, his hat flying into the air in the process. The Arcanine is large and fluffy, a heavy weight that bears down on him. The fire type licks a long stripe across his cheek and all Ash can think about, while his world spins, is how pretty the night sky of Flame City is. </p><p>“Nine! Get off him! You can’t just tackle anyone you like.” A stranger — it’s a males voice — sighs in exasperation. </p><p>Oh, Ash thinks as Arcanine whines and gets off him, I know that voice. </p><p>I don’t own Pokémon. I only own Ten, Henry, Avatile  City and the City of Flames.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don’t own Pokémon. I only own Ten, Henry, Avatile  City and the City of Flames.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter One: </b>
</p><p> </p><p>In Kalos, the City of Flames — ville de la flamme — is hosting its yearly flame festival. It’s a three day celebration held for fire type Pokémon specifically. There are many food stands and games to play. A firework display is held towards the end of the night and there are even separate events held for trainers and performers. The prizes are a special gym badge and a once-in-a-life-time princess key. </p><p>“I can’t wait!” Ash exclaims, bubbling with excitement. He clutches the flyer in his hands, beaming when Clemont merely sighs at his antics. Beside him, Serena makes a fist and stars appear in her eyes. “A new key!” She makes a determined face and points her index finger into the distance. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” </p><p>Bonnie makes a dreamy face. “Just think of all the food we could eat!” </p><p>“Are badges, keys and food all you guys ever think about?” Clemont asks. When the other three turn to face him with ‘duh’ expressions, he waves them off with a, “never mind.” </p><p>The journey to ville de la flamme is a three day walk. Ash and the others have to walk through a deep forest and over the edge of a mountain. They get to see a flock of Flabébé and Floette being led by a single Florges against an orange and purple sky. Later, they have to quietly make their way around a herd of particularly nasty Zangoose. </p><p>By the time they make it to the City of Flames, it’s late into the day and the sun is slowly setting. There’s a gentle breeze as Ash slowly takes everything in. He had originally thought of skyscrapers and metal buildings, instead there are trees covered in red lights everywhere, grass fields are on all sides, separated by thin rodes. There are short buildings, small shops with tables and seats out front, stands are already built, decorated in red ribbons and orange lights. Street performers are all over the place, showcasing their newest tricks with their fire type Pokémon. People are jovially walking around with their partners, stopping at one stand and another. Ash spots a Charmander, a Delphox and even a Pansear. He gazes at all the fire types in awe. There’s so many of them. There’s a home-like smell in the air that makes Ash feel nostalgic. He grins and breathes in the scent of freshly baked goods from a nearby stand. Pikachu jumps down from his shoulder, his nose twitching as he sniffs at the air. He makes a confused expression. “Pika…?”</p><p>“Something wrong, buddy?” Ash asks, furrowing his brows.</p><p>A little behind him, Serena let’s Braixen out of her Pokeball. Bonnie tugs on Clemont’s shirt, pointing into the direction of the biggest stall, Dedenne is nestled in her blonde hair, voicing its excitement loudly. </p><p>Pikachu doesn’t answer, he just raises his head with a loud and startled, “Pika!” </p><p>Ash suddenly gets tackled to the ground by an Arcanine, his hat flying into the air in the process. The Arcanine is large and fluffy, a heavy weight that bears down on him. The fire type licks a long stripe across his cheek and all Ash can think about, while his world spins, is how pretty the night sky of Flame City is. </p><p>“Nine! Get off him! You can’t just tackle anyone you like.” A stranger — it’s a males voice — sighs in exasperation. </p><p><em> Oh</em>, Ash thinks as Arcanine whines and gets off him, <em> I know that voice. </em>He groans as he sits up, cradling the back of his head. Serena runs to him, crouching down as she touches his shoulder, expression concerned. “Ash, are you alright?” </p><p>“I’m good,” Ash answers. He finds his hat and gets to his feet, dusting it off before settling it back onto his head. Braixen shakes her head from side to side, muttering about one thing or another. Pikachu nuzzles at his leg, letting out a whine of its own. Ash turns his gaze to the side where Clemont is holding back Bonnie because the young girl is yelling at an older male. </p><p>The male is tall, with black hair and green eyes. He’s dressed in dark clothing. He pets Arcanine’s side, his hand getting lost in its thick fur. “I’m sorry,” he apologies to a scowling Bonnie, “he doesn’t usually run off and tackle people.” Beside his legs sits a Raichu who has his arms crossed over his chest, tail swishing lazily from side to side. </p><p>For a few seconds, it feels as if Ash is dislodged from the world. He remembers Kanto and Hoenn, the brief moment in Sinnoh where he had been kissed on the cheek. Then the older boy looks towards him, green eyes widening in recognition and lips slowly curling into a soft smirk. <em> It’s Ten, </em> his mind screams at him, <em> it’s Ten. </em>Ash is running towards him before he even knows it. He wraps his arms around the boys middle, laughing when he gets caught and lifted off the ground for a few seconds. He gets settled back down, but Ten’s arms stay wrapped around his waist, warm and familiar. Ash tilts his head back, staring up into green eyes that are filled with such gentleness that it makes him flush. “Hi,” he says. </p><p>Ten laughs, but it’s a low sound that makes Ash shiver. “Hey,” he greets back, leaning closer to press the side of his nose against Ash’s own. At their legs, Pikachu nuzzles into Raichu, letting out a noise that sounds suspiciously content. Raichu doesn’t seem to mind though. </p><p>A cough breaks them all reluctantly apart. Ash turns around to face his friends who are all staring at him with different expressions. Bonnie’s is confused, Serena is blushing and nervously playing with the hem of her skirt, Clemont, on the other hand, has a look of dawning realisation on his face.</p><p>“Uh,” Ash starts intelligently. “This is Ten. He’s the Gym Leader of Avatile City in the Kanto Region. Um… Ten, these are my friends, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie.”</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you,” Ten ducks his head, tucking one of his hands into the front pocket of his black jeans. There’s a pokewatch wrapped around his wrist. </p><p>“So you’re friends?” Bonnie asks, making a face. When Ash nods, she sighs loudly. “You mean I could have already been eating delicious food but instead I wasted my time on yelling at Ten for no reason?” </p><p>“Bonnie!” Clemont scolds. </p><p>“Whatever,” Bonnie sniffs. Her eyes seem to catch something interesting because she grabs her older brother and drags him off into the stands, eyes shining deviously.</p><p>“Do you mind if I…?” Serena asks awkwardly, stepping closer to Arcanine as she pulls out her Pokédex. “I’ve never seen one up close. They’re rare here.” She’s still blushing. </p><p>“Sure.” Ten nods.</p><p>Serena aligns her Pokédex. “<em>Arcanine is known for its high speed. It is said to be capable of running over 6,200 miles in a single day and night. The fire that blazes wildly within this Pokémon’s body is its source of power.” </em> There’s a pause to the devices chirpy voice before it adds, “<em>It</em><em> is always known as a legendary Pokémon in the East.” </em></p><p>“Woah,” Serena breathes out. “That’s awesome.” Braixen agrees, looking at Arcanine with awe in her eyes. </p><p>Arcanine puffs out his chest and makes a deep, rumbling sound. Ten sends him a sharp look, “I wouldn’t feel too proud if I were you. After all, you did run off and tackle Ash.” </p><p>Raichu snickers, holding one of his paws to his mouth to muffle the sound. Ash watches as Pikachu presses itself back into Raichu, like he’s asking for more attention. He’s about to tell him off when Ten places his hand on his hip, thumb rubbing softly over the material of the jeans there. “You hungry?” Ten asks. “I’ll pay. It’s the least I could do, considering you took a bad fall.” His hand tightens on Ash’s hip momentarily and his green eyes narrow. “You’re not hurt, are you?” His voice is soft, but his words are low and measured. </p><p>Ash shakes his head from side to side. “I’m not hurt,” he says, his voice comes out quieter than he intended it to. In the distance, Bonnie yells at Serena to hurry up. She leaves with a grumble and a wave, Braixen right at her heels. Ash clears his throat. “Anyways, what are you even doing here? No, wait. Don’t answer that. You ran away from your Gym duties again, didn’t you?”</p><p>“Luxray and Mightyena have it covered,” Ten shrugs. “You know those two, chaos and destruction.” </p><p>Sweat dropping, Ash imagines the damage that Luxray and Mightyena could do alone. He sees the Avatile Gym in rubbles, Luxray prowling around like a predator and Mightyena attacking anyone he so much as desires. He sees trainers shaking in fear. Misty having to check up on the Gym and then throwing a fit when she finds it void of Ten. He sees Brock trying to calm her down and failing. </p><p>Huffing out a laugh, Ash leans in to press his face into Ten’s chest. He smells sharp, nice and clean. He breathes him in, his body going lax. He feels sleepy and aware at the same time. It’s weird. Ten shifts to wrap his arms around his waist again, he lowers his head so his lips are right beside Ash’s ear. “Did you miss me?” He murmurs, breath hot.</p><p>“Yeah,” Ash admits, voice muffled by Ten’s chest. He shivers involuntarily, his stomach fluttering. When he eventually moves away, it’s only because Arcanine nudges at them with a soft growl, as if to say, ‘PDA.’ </p><p>He tugs on Ten’s hand, matching his gaze with the older boys, “you said something about food?”</p><p>Ten sighs fondly and then pulls Ash along towards the stands. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter Two: </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Ash bites into the deep fried chicken pieces that are screwed onto his wooden pic. It’s glazed heavily in the golden goodness of honey. He gazes at Ten who’s just a few paces away, buying little charms. The male laughs at something the merchant says and then shakes his head. The orange lights from all around cast a warm glow against his form and he lights up, like he belongs to ville de la flamme. Like he’s one of the city’s people, bustling around with familiarity and greeting everyone with a friendly smile. Ash can’t tear his gaze away. When he’s done with his snack, he throws the pic away. </p><p>Ten walks back towards him, side stepping people as he shows off a Charizard keychain. “Here,” he says, holding it out, “it’s for you.” </p><p>Ash wraps his fingers around the keychain, bringing it closer to his face for inspection. The Charizard’s tail is glowing dimly. “Thanks,” he grins. Ten ducks his head with a smile, he tugs another keychain into the back pocket of his dark jeans, but Ash doesn’t notice what Pokémon it is. He’s about to ask, when his attention is caught by Arcanine in the distance. Bonnie is sat on his back with Dedenne and the two are whooping and yelling, grinning as they get to ride the large fire type. There’s a hoard of kids around them, ooh-ing and awe-ing.</p><p>Serena walks out from between stands at the same time, Pikachu and Raichu are running circles around her legs. She’s stuffing her face with red and orange shortbread, moaning as she bites into the biscuits. Clemont walks a little behind her, holding multiple bags in each hand. There’s even a dress box under his armpit. He’s grumbling quietly to himself. Braixen walks elegantly beside him with an air of bliss ignorance. </p><p>“Did you guys sign us up for the competition?” Ash asks instead, clipping his Charizard keychain into the front loop of his jeans. He smiles, petting Pikachu behind the ears when he settles himself back on his shoulder.</p><p>“Yeah,” Clemont answers when he realises that Serena won’t talk until she’s eaten all her shortbread. “It’s out on one of the main clearings, by the way” he jerks his chin into the direction he had just come from. “A few people are camping out there, maybe we could too?”</p><p>Ash flickers his line of sight towards Ten for a moment, he’s crouched low to the ground, whispering something into Raichu’s ear. He then stands back up and watches as Raichu runs off into the stands. Pikachu instantly leaps after him. Looking back at Clemont, Ash shrugs his shoulders. “It’s good enough for me.”</p><p>Serena makes a stressed sound, and muffles around a mouth full of shortbread, “Camping? <em> Again?”  </em></p><p>“Just eat your shortbread,” Clemont sighs. </p><p>Laughing, Ash walks closer to Ten. He tugs on the males black jacket, staring up into green eyes. “Wanna camp with us?” He asks. Ten hums, the corners of his lips curling into a barely there smile. “Can’t sleep without me?” He murmurs. </p><p>Flushing, Ash pulls away only to be pulled right back in, the hands on his hips are large and warm and his chest is pressed against Ten’s own. He lets out a protesting, “Hey—”</p><p>“I’ll camp with you.” Ten cuts him off, voice low as he raises a single hand to wrap around the side of Ash’s neck. His thumb rubs across his cheek, slow and gentle. “Great,” Ash swallows, shivering as he takes a small step back, “because I wanna show off my Pokémon to you.” The hand on his waist falls away, but the one of his neck momentarily squeezes, stopping him from moving further away. </p><p>“Oh, really?” Ten muses, his eyelids lowering ever so slightly. He makes an odd noise, a hum mixed in with a sigh and then he swipes a tongue over his bottom lip. He whistles, but it’s not a high pitched sound. It’s actually quiet, like the flutter of wings on a Butterfree. Ash stays rooted in his spot, barely registering the fact that Arcanine is suddenly at their side, obedient as he’s always listening for orders from his trainer. Bonnie laughs as she looks down at them. She says something, but her words are dulled, like Ash has dunked his head underwater. He’s too busy concentrating on Ten’s eyes and his lips. Dear Arceus, were Ten’s lips always this captivating? </p><p>An amused expression settles across Ten’s features. “Ash, are you listening?”</p><p>“No,” he answers truthfully. The hand on his neck leaves and Ash feels cold. The air is humid and warm, buzzing with energy but he feels like a gust of wind has blown over him. Weird. </p><p>Beside them, Arcanine lowers himself to the ground. Serena and Clemont are climbing onto his back, Braixen copying their movements. Ash blinks, slow and hard. Ten leads him forward by placing the palm of his hand onto the small of his back and it’s like fire alights along Ash’s body. He’s warm again. He breathes out a relieved sigh, grasping onto Arcanine’s thick orange and black fur as he sits along the fire types back. Ten sits just behind him and the hand that had been on Ash’s lower back moves to wrap around his waist, bringing him flush against a hard chest. </p><p>“Take is easy, Nine.” Ten pats Arcanine’s fur three times. Arcanine huffs but sets off at a slow pace, growling softly when Bonnie raises her arms into the air with a cheerful yell. The people below them move out of their way, separating into two sides to let them through. Eventually they stop at a clearing. It’s grass for miles, a few trees overlook the horizon and wherever Ash looks he can see bushes. Arcanine lowers himself back down to the ground and Ash jumps down along with the others, pausing to take in the few stray tents that are on the left side of the clearing. When he looks towards the right side, he’s met with the familiar sight of a scowling blonde male. He’s standing beside a large green tent, arms crossed over his chest and blue eyes narrowed. Around him, Pikachu and Raichu are playing with a Smeargle. </p><p>Ash holds back a laugh. “Isn’t that Henry?” </p><p>“Who’s Henry?” Clemont asks, tripping as he tries to adjust the dress box back underneath his armpit. </p><p>“My carer,” Ten mutters, motioning for them to follow him, “he cares so I don’t have to.”</p><p>“Sounds nice,” Bonnie comments. “I wish I had a carer.”</p><p>Clemont makes a strangled noise. “And what do I look like?”</p><p>Bonnie ignores him and Serena laughs. </p><p>When they make it to the tent, Henry’s scowl deepens.</p><p>“Sir, with all due respect,” he pauses to step over Pikachu and prod his index finger into Ten’s chest, “I think it’s about time we’ve gotten onto the nearest flight home. The Gym is, without a doubt, in ruins and…” he trails off as his blue eyes land on Ash. For a second, he looks caught off guard, mouth opening and closing like a Magikarps. </p><p>“Hi,” Ash grins, wide and impish. </p><p>Henry groans, his face twisting as if he’s not sure what expression to make. “Why do I even bother? Now that Ten knows you’re here I’m <em> never </em> going to get him back into Kanto.” He runs a hand down his face, making a frustrated sound as he does so. “The Gym might as well be written off the main list—”</p><p>“He really is a carer,” Serena says, biting back a grin. </p><p>While introductions are being made and Serena is using her Pokédex on Smeargle, Ash pulls Ten towards the side. He tugs his Pokeballs down from his belt and one by one throws them into the air. There’s Talonflame, Hawlucha, Noivern, Goodra and Greninja. Ten seems surprised, but then his lips quirk up into a soft smirk and there’s the same gentleness in his eyes from before. </p><p>“They’re all fully evolved,” he points out, reaching out to run his fingers along Talonflame’s feathers. “They look strong.” </p><p>Hawlucha agrees, puffing out his chest. Noivern grunts, raising his chin like he’s above compliments, but Ash knows him better. He knows he likes compliments. Goodra rubs the back of its head, bashful and blushing. </p><p>Ash laughs, bright and bubbly. “Guys, meet Ten. He’s an old friend of mine from back home.” His team all make various noises, Greninja is the only one who steps forward, eyeing Ten with a glint in his eyes. For a split second, Ash is worried but then Greninja nods his head and returns to his spot, satisfied. </p><p>“Well?” Ash tilts his head, “who did you bring?” </p><p>Ten glances towards Arcanine before he reaches for the pokeballs attached to his own belt. One by one Pokémon are brought out. There’s Typhlosion, Ninetales, Serperior and Houndoom. With Raichu and Arcanine, there’s six of them all together. “I have two more with me,” Ten voices, scratching Houndoom behind his horns. He watches as Typhlosion pats Ash on the back and gives him a sharp grin. Serperior wraps herself around Ash, jutting her head softly against his cheek in greeting. </p><p>“Two more?” Ash’s brows furrow in confusion, he chuckles lightly as Serperior nearly trips him over. Ninetales brushes a few of her tails across his bed, licking a long stripe across his other cheek. </p><p>“Yeah,” Ten nods, “Henry’s holding them for me.” </p><p>As if on call, Henry is at their side, holding out two Pokeballs. Bonnie runs up to them, marvelling at Ninetales. Serena is a step behind her, already moving her Pokédex from one Pokémon to another. Clemont is paying special attention to Serperior, his glasses glinting. </p><p>Ten lets out his other two Pokémon. It’s actually a tiny Litleo and a Pokémon Ash and the others haven’t ever seen before. It’s a flying type, with red wings and a pink beak. It lands on Ten’s outstretched arm, fluttering its wings like it’s dancing. </p><p>“<em>The Baile Style Oricorio is very passionate, and power fills its body when it dances. It sends downy fluff flying during its intense dances.” </em> Serena’s Pokédex informs them. “<em>O</em><em>ricorio can also change its form by sipping the nectar of certain flowers.” </em></p><p>“Oh!” Clemont snaps his fingers. “Oricorio is from Alola isn’t he?”</p><p>“What’s Alola?” Bonnie presses her face into Ninetales fur, giggling when the fire type presses her snout into her hair to sniff at her. </p><p>“It’s an exotic Region,” Henry grabs Smeargle as he runs past him, holding him close to his chest. Raichu and Pikachu stick their tongues out at him but he ignores them. “We made a stop there a few months back and Ten decided to catch one. Don’t be fooled, it may look pretty but it’s ego is huge.” </p><p>On cue, Oricorio puffs up its red feathers. </p><p>“An exotic Region, huh?” Ash can’t help but grin. After he’s done with Kalos, he can totally head to wherever Alola is. New Pokemon, new friends. He can’t wait!</p><p>“Oh, boy,” Serena shakes her head, “there he goes off into his own little world again.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i didn’t think this fic was going to get any attention. thanks for all the hits and kudos!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter Three:</b>
</p><p>
  <span>At their impromptu campsite, the sun slowly sets and the campfire they’ve built is bright and vivid, swaying from side to side. The sounds of chatter and music from the city is but a quiet murmur, soft and pleasant. The sky is a kaleidoscope of oranges and reds and pinks, one colour blurring into another and creating the picture perfect moment of the word ‘aesthetic.’ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clemont watches a scene from the corner of his eye, absentmindedly poking a stick into the fire. Bonnie is playing with Ninetales near the bushes and as always, Serena is stuffing her face with food beside him. Across them, Henry is tending to Oricorio, brushing it’s pretty feathers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Away from them, Arcanine is laid across the grass, his snout placed over his paws, snoring softly. Every now and then his ears flick, turning sharply for any sounds in the distance. Ten is leaned into his side, particularly buried in the Pokémon’s thick orange and black fur, legs spread out in front of him and hands lowered in his lap. They look completely relaxed. Well, as relaxed as two predators can look. Clemont raises a single brow when Ten slowly brings a hand up to his mouth and rubs his thumb across his bottom lip thoughtfully, black hair messy and green eyes dark as he gazes at Ash in the distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash is spread across the grass near the tents, stomach on the ground, elbows planted in the soft earth with his hands laced under his chin to hold his head up. He coos at Litleo, leaning forward to press a kiss against the tiny Pokémons nose. Litleo paws at his face, purring loudly as he rubs his cheek against Ash’s own. With a quiet laugh, Ash peppers the fire type’s face with quick, little kisses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten looks completely enamoured from where he’s sat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Clemont voices, his glasses glinting from the fire, “I’ve noticed something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry pauses in grooming Oricorio, face forming into a knowing grimace. “So you have,” he says. He returns back to grooming the flying type when the bird bristles, fluffing up its red feathers and narrowing its eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhhm.” Clemont hums. He pokes his stick into the fire again. It’s quiet for a few moments. There’s just the sound of Ash cooing at Litleo, Arcanine softly snoring and the wood breaking and snapping around the fire. Under all of that there’s still the murmur of soft music from the city. It’s quite cosy, actually. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shifting, Clemont opens his mouth, “So, Ten—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Henry cuts in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Ash—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Serena swallows loudly around her honey glazed pancakes in the shape of Pyroar. “What?” She asks, face scrunching up in confusion. “I wasn’t paying any attention to the conversation. I was too busy savouring the heavenly flavour of the—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Serena. Thank you. We get it. You love food,” Clemont rolls his eyes. He avoids a punch to the shoulder from the female by shuffling away and ducking. He’s gotten pretty good at avoiding Serena’s hits over the past couple of months. Clemont can’t help but grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scowling, Serena stuffs the last of her pancakes into her mouth and moans, cheeks flushing as she holds the palms of her hands over them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great,” Henry mutters, jerking his chin into Ash’s general direction. “Looks like we’re going to have to share a tent, Clemont.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raising both his brows, Clemont turns to look and his mouth falls open. Serena, ever so curious, turns to look as well. They both see the sight of Ten guiding Ash up his feet and then pulling him forward with a sharp tug when he tries to move away. He abruptly wraps a hand around the side of Ash’s neck, forcing their faces closer to each other. Ten tilts his head, his lips forming a devilish grin as he murmurs something that has Ash blushing all the way up to the tips of his ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can say goodbye to a quiet night,” Henry grumbles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Serena promptly chokes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>——</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me kiss you,” Ten says, voice hot and low. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Ash’s brain is like static. And then he comes back to the situation at hand and he can feel his face flush with heat. Ten’s breath is warm as it fans across his face, they’re so </span>
  <em>
    <span>close</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And the hand on his neck is heavy, keeping him rooted in his place. “Uh,” Ash voices intelligently, caught off guard. His chest is tight and his stomach is fluttering with hundreds of Butterfree. At their feat, Litleo gazes up at them with wide eyes, his tail swishing innocently behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash is suddenly reminded of </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> moment from Sinnoh. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s raining, the sky is dark and Ten is leaning in threateningly close. Ash is cornered into the wall of the Hotel behind him, gulping when Ten places one hand against the wall beside his head and the other one at his hip, completely caging him in. Ten’s eyes are dark and his black hair is dripping. There’s a tick to his jaw that makes him look like a predator. He hums, a gentle sound that sounds both peaceful and dangerous. Ash feels like prey, unable to move underneath the older males piercing gaze. At their feet, Pikachu shakes his head from side to side, splattering droplets of water in every direction. Raichu is running his paws down his head trying to dry himself. And before Ash even knows it, Ten leans in even closer and brushes his lips ever so softly against his cheek with a murmured, “Sorry.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“K-kiss…me?” Ash stutters, his voice slightly higher than usual. On the cheek? On the lips? Kiss how? </span>
  <em>
    <span>How? </span>
  </em>
  <span>His brain is short circuiting and his heart is beating so loudly against his ribcage he’s afraid Ten might actually hear it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s mouth curls up into a wicked smirk. “Are you asking me or telling me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I—” Ash’s words get stuck in the back of his throat. The hand on his neck tightens when he tries to take a hesitant step back. Ten rubs his thumb across Ash’s cheek, humming quietly under his breath. He tilts his head ever so slightly and the bright orange and red hues of the sky cast shadows across his handsome face. He slowly moves his gaze over Ash’s features, over his cheeks, the bridge of his nose, his lips, the scars under his eyes—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash thinks he might be forgetting how to breathe. Because his chest is tight and his heart is beating so fast—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His breathing stutters when Ten drops his hand and instead places it on his hip. He doesn’t say anything, just leads him towards the tent. He motions something to Litleo and the tiny Pokémon goes running off. Ash is then pushed through the folds of the tent and falls onto the already made sleeping bags. It’s dim inside the tent, but he can still see. Backpacks are half open, clothes are strewn randomly about. He swallows, watching Ten close the tent flap with wide eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten turns around and stares down at him with a glint in his green eyes. He shrugs his jacket off and let’s it drop to the ground uncaringly. There’s a… certain aura around him that has Ash feeling very, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> nervous. He licks his lips and Ten’s eyes drop immediately to his mouth, the green of his eyes darkening into a deep emerald. He stalks forward and stands above him, pausing in his movements as he takes in Ash sat on the sleeping bags, chest heaving and face flushed. The older male nudges Ash’s legs apart with a sneakered foot and then lowers himself to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten gets between Ash’s thighs, presses a hand onto the other males chest and slowly forces him to lay down, enjoying the way the younger male visibly shivers underneath him. Ash’s shirt moves higher above his stomach, showing off a stripe of tanned skin. His hat tips off his head and lands beside him. Ash blinks, slow and purposeful, trying not to squirm as Ten eyes the skin on his stomach. Ten shifts, so that Ash’s legs are on each side of his waist and that his own hands are planted firmly on each side of Ash’s head. He runs the tip of his nose along Ash’s collarbones, up the side of his throat and then across his cheek, stopping only when his lips brush against the shell of Ash’s ear and his breath fans across the side of the others face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash turns his head to the side, letting out a hazy puff of air. Ten is like a wild Pokémon. Sniffing at him, running the tip of his nose alongside his neck to see if there’s another’s scent on him. That’s why he’s always touching the side of his neck. To make sure his own scent is there. He’s an Arcanine pinning down something it owns. Because he’s possessive. But Ash isn’t a thing and he doesn’t belong to anyone. He squirms and Ten growls. It’s a throaty sound that makes Ash’s stomach feel all warm and gooey, he tingles pleasantly all over. Gah. Why can’t Ten just kiss him and get it over with? He’s so bloody warm and Ten bearing all his weight down on him is making his head spin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Ash breathes out, forcing himself to look into green eyes. “I get it, you—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s cut off rather abruptly by a pair of soft lips landing on his own. Eyes wide, Ash stays still as Ten moves his lips slowly against his. His eyes are closed, long lashes touching his cheeks. Ash manages a sigh through his nose, his eyelids lowering as his insides melt. He hesitantly moves his lips against Ten’s and the older male makes a deep sound from the back of his throat. Ten moves a hand to Ash’s thigh and squeezes, his other hand travels underneath Ash’s shirt, fingers running patterns across his tanned skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash releases a sound he doesn’t think he’d ever make. It’s sort of high and whiny, but it spurs Ten on. He forcibly licks his way into Ash’s mouth, parts his lips with ease and all Ash can do is let him. He clutches at Ten’s shirt, wraps his fingers into the dark material and feels a shudder run through him when Ten runs his tongue along his. It’s a weird sensation. One Ash hasn’t felt before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He decides he quite likes it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Ten finally parts from him it’s only so he can kiss his way down his neck, teeth grazing across sensitive skin and making Ash make more high and whiny sounds. Ten huffs out a quiet laugh at the juncture of his neck. His shoulders are shaking ever so slightly and his hair is tickling the underside of Ash’s jaw. “Shit,” he curses, his lips barely brushing along Ash’s neck and making him shiver, “I’m fucking ruined.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash doesn’t get to ask what he means because Ten dives back in and bites him, slips his hands underneath him and grabs a hold of Ash’s backside, squeezing the two globes as he rolls his own hips down. Ash keens, his head tipping backwards and his hips arching up, voice tiny and ruined, as he lets out a high-pitched whine, breathing out a soft and needy, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ten</span>
  </em>
  <span>.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we should stop,” Ten says, voice shaky but dark, unrecognisable. His arms are fully shaking now, like he’s trying to stop himself from fully devouring Ash. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash would let him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash would absolutely let him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No, no, no.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He shakes his head from side to side and loops his arms around Ten’s neck, dragging their face towards each other. There’s a loud pause as their line of sight aligns, breathes mingling and hearts beating together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s eyes are blown. Wild. His hair is messy and there is pure hunger strewn across his features. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash’s cheeks are red, eyes hazy and lips swollen. He looks needy.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You bit me.” Ash mutters, furrowing his brows as he feels the bitten skin on his neck tingle with light pain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Ten shrugs a shoulder. “I bit you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It hurts.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Funny. A mere moment ago it looked like you quite enjoyed it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s going to leave a mark.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, really?” Ten softens his tone, wrapping his fingers around the front of Ash’s neck, right over where the bruise will no doubt be in the morning. Ash stills underneath him, breath caught in his throat as he waits for Ten to pull his hand away. Sighing, Ten runs his thumb on the underside of Ash’s jaw and then over the juncture of his neck. He leans in, so that his lips ghost over Ash’s own. “I think I might be obsessed.” He whispers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Heart beating widely, Ash can’t help but internally agree. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>work has literally made me unable to write. like, i forced myself to write this even though i was tired and in a bad mood. so if it seems bad, am sorry ://</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter Four: </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash awakes to a heavy arm around his waist and a soft breath on the back of his neck. He peels his eyes open to the morning light trickling in through the thin material of the tent, casting the lightest shade of blue all around him. Ash blinks, slow and weary, soaking up the warmthness encased around him. He doesn’t want to get up. He’s so comfortable and his eyes are so droopy…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of chatter from outside catches his attention. He shifts and feels the arm around his waist tighten. “Mhhm,” the person behind him hums.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash stills. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why is there an arm on his waist? Why can he feel a person's breath on the back of his neck? Why is he sleeping with said person!?!? Ash can feel his heart beating straight out of his chest. He feels a surge of panic run through his being and then he’s suddenly reminded of the events of last night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash went to sleep with Ten. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling his cheeks burn with heat, Ash burrows his face into his pillow and quietly groans. He remembers sharp teeth at his neck, dark green eyes staring intently down at him and large hands roaming his body. Heat pools in Ash’s stomach and he squirms, feeling uncomfortable. Ten doesn’t so much as nudge behind him. Carefully, Ash moves from underneath the covers and Ten’s arm so as to not disturb him. He manages it without a hitch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing in relief, Ash starts to gather his clothes for the day and then pauses to take in Ten. The older male has his face buried in his pillow, black hair messy and sticking every which way, lips ever so parted. He has one arm tucked underneath the pillow, the other one is thrown over the covers, like it’s reaching out for something that is no longer there. He looks peaceful and calm. Much calmer than he looks during the day, anyways. There’s always such a scowl on his face and fire in his eyes. Ash smiles, feeling giddy over the fact that he gets to see Ten this way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slipping into his jeans, Ash contemplates over what happened back in Sinnoh. After Ten had kissed him on the cheek, he had acted weirdly and left without so much as a word. Almost as if he had regretted the action. A month later, Misty called Ash to tell him that Ten was back in Avatile City and causing the usual ruckus. At the time, Ash was confused and sort of… hurt. Ten hadn’t even said goodbye. He had just ignored him the next day, stayed purely out of his sight and then he just left. And Ash was too stubborn to call him and ask about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling his mood drop, Ash hopes Ten won’t do the same thing again. He… he has to do something so Ten won’t just leave him hanging for… for whatever it is that Ash wants. For whatever it is that the two of them have, because the word ‘friends’ doesn’t quite cover it. Biting into his bottom lip, Ash tears his gaze away from Ten’s face and instead moves it towards the males belongings. He spots Ten’s favourite hoodie. It’s black with a tiny white pokeball logo on the front right side. Ash grins and grabs a hold of it, feels the soft material of the hoodie run past his fingers. He brings it up to his nose and gives an experimental sniff. It smells nice. All sharp and clean with a hint of something that is just </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ten. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash is pulling it over his head before he even knows it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t quite fit him, the sleeves are too long and the hem reaches past his hips and skirts over his thighs. But it feels comfortable. Very comfortable. Throwing one last glance at a still sleeping Ten, Ash shoves his shoes over his feet and then exits the tent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s momentarily blinded by the sun's rays but then his eyes adjust to the brightness and he’s met with the sight of his friends sitting around the dead campfire from last night, eating breakfast. The sky is an endless blue with only a few clouds, there are wild Pokémon shuffling through bushes and singing in the trees, gliding gently across the sky. Pikachu is snuggled into Raichu’s side near the bushes, Smeargle is running after Dedene and Arcanine is lazing under the shade of a nearby tree. Breathing in fresh air along with the scent of eggs, Ash joins his friends on the grass and greets them with a cheerful, “Good morning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Serena grins at him and passes him a plateful of eggs. Clemont gives him a glass of water and Bonnie slides over a toothbrush along with a half used tube of toothpaste. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning,” they greet him back simultaneously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleep well?” Henry asks, his blue eyes dropping to stare at Ash’s throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah.” Ash averts his line of sight, scratching his cheek awkwardly with his index finger. He had momentarily forgotten that Ten had left behind a mark. He idly wonders what it looks like. Is it red? Purple? How big is it? He feels the utter need to know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right.” Henry says, over the rim of his cup. He flickers his gaze to Ash’s hoodie — Ten’s hoodie actually — and hides an amused smile by tacking a large gulp of his drink. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group then settles into multiple conversations. Serena chatters on about the contest, Bonnie talks around a mouth full of bread about which stands she wants to stop at today and Clemont talks to Henry about his inventions. Ash stays quiet as he eats his eggs. Once he’s done, he moves a bit further away to brush his teeth and to rinse his mouth. He then returns the used items to where they belong and sets off to feed his and Ten’s Pokémon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He settles a bowl of Poké food in front of a still sleeping Pikachu and Raichu. Hearing the sound of the bowl meeting the grass, Raichu opens a single eye and peers at Ash and then at the food. His tail is held above his body, casting a shadow partially over himself and fully over Pikachu. “Rai,” the Pokémon flicks its ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” Ash smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moves over to Arcanine, putting down a much larger bowl of Poké food onto the grass for the large Pokémon. Arcanine’s nose twitches before he opens his eyes. He gives a loud yawn, his jaw opening wide to show off his meticulously sharp teeth. Standing to his paws, Arcanine nudges his snout into Ash’s chest with a soft growl, nearly knocking him over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laughing, Ash pats the fire types thick fur. “Good morning to you too, big guy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arcanine sniffs at his hoodie, his ears flicking the same way that Raichu’s had mere moments ago. He makes a confused sound and tilts his head ever so slightly to the side. Holding back a grin, Ash pats the fire types orange and black fur. “I stole Ten’s hoodie for the time being,” he explains. “I’ll give it back to him later.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Giving a considering pause, Arcanine shifts from one paw to another. He huffs, the fur on his chest puffing out. He sniffs at Ash’s stomach and then tries to sniff at his neck too, but he quickly steps back, his cheeks coloured red. “Hey! Don’t sniff there,” Ash scolds, holding a hand over the mark on his neck. He feels sudden embarrassment course through his being knowing that Arcanine can undoubtedly smell Ten on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Serena!” A yell from the distance forces Ash to turn around. The voice sounds oddly familiar. Raising his brows, mouth falling agape, Ash spots Shauna along with Tierno and Trevor. The three are quickly running over to their campsite, smiles wide and hands waving around enthusiastically. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shauna!” Serena exclaims, quickly standing to her feet as she catches the other female in an excited hug. Clemont and Bonnie greet Tierno and Trevor with loud exclamations. There are pats on the shoulders accompanied by shy smiles and over the top declarations of winning the competitions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash is about to walk over when Arcanine quickly steps around him, lowers his head and uses his snout to push him backwards. Frowning, Ash tries to walk around the fire type only for the same thing to happen again. Stumbling, he catches himself before he falls. Opening his mouth to ask what’s wrong, his words are cut off by Tierno. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ash?” The black haired male quirks a brow. “What are you doing?” He asks. The others are coming to a stop behind him, eyes filled with confusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trevor stares at Arcanine with a gleam in his eyes. “Is he yours?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Ash starts lamely. “He’s not mine.” He tries to walk around Arcanine only for the Pokémon to get in his way for the third time. The beast hunches his shoulders and moves his head low to the ground, growling at Shauna who tries to step closer. He looks like he’s ready for an attack. But then Arcanine nuzzles his snout into Ash’s chest and stomach, like he’s trying to protect him. Ash just doesn’t understand from what. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s intimidating,” Shauna says, hiding behind Serena who gives an awkward laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s weird,” Clemont comments, “he was acting pretty normally yesterday and not long ago.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Bonnie adds in, “we even played hide and seek together.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry sighs, long and suffering. Like he’s in actual pain from being constantly around Ash’s friends. He doesn’t elaborate though, just waves his hand in dismissal when Ash looks at him for help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s that?” Shauna asks, interest piqued as she points a finger into the direction of the tents. Her light green eyes are wide with wonder. Ash feels his stomach drop. She couldn’t be talking about Ten… could she? He’s scared to look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s rude to point,” Trevor mumbles, but turns to stare in the same direction as well. Tierno copies his motions, obviously curious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s Ten,” Henry answers dully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, but who are you again?” Shauna questions, furrowing her brows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Henry,” the blonde male answers. “We’re from Kanto. Avatile City. Ten’s a Gym Leader and I’m his assistant.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Carer,” Serena corrects. “Henry cares so Ten doesn’t have to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tierno’s usual bright expression brightens even more. “A Gym Leader!?” He yells. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a collective shrug from all around. Ash would laugh, but he doesn’t. Instead he turns his gaze towards the tents. Ten is stud there, lips set in a deep scowl and green eyes narrowed. He’s missing a shirt. His chest is on full display, perfect pale skin with thin scars on his stomach back from when Arcanine was an untameable Growlithe pup. He kicks one of the metal holders for the tent, clearly annoyed at it and runs a hand through his black hair, messing it up even further. Ten turns to look at them, but his eyes are dark and his expression is unreadable. Ash can see a tick forming in his jaw from how hard he’s clenching it. His hands are formed into fists and the muscles on his arms are flexing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never mind,” Shauna shakes her head, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>he’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> intimidating.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We must have woken him up,” Clemont holds his chin between his thumb and forefinger thoughtfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Him?” Shauna makes a face. “That,” she says, “is a beast. We’ve woken up a beast.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh great. He’s walking here,” Trevor ducks his head and hides half behind Shauna and half behind Serena, who’s stifling a laugh behind her hand. Bonnie rolls her eyes, probably thinking that Trevor and Shauna are over exaggerating. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Battle with me!” Tierno fist pumps the air as soon as Ten is in hearing distance. He jumps on the balls of his feet, buzzing with restless energy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s stare is hard. He slowly eyes Tierno up and down, his expression never changing. He doesn’t say anything, merely moves past him and aims straight for Ash. His eyes are glued to the mark on Ash’s neck. The deep, purple bite mark that claims him. The aura around Ten is actually quite scary. Ash gulps, forcing his lips into an uneasy smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, that’s rude.” Shauna crosses her arms over her chest, her cheeks puffing out in annoyance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pausing, Ten glances over his shoulder. It’s a quick glance, he barely even looks at her and then he’s moving on. He stops in front of Arcanine and a dip forms between his brows. “Move.” He orders, voice quiet and soft, dangerous. It makes the hairs on the back of Ash’s neck stand to attention, heat pooling at the bottom of his stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arcanine growls, keeping his head at the same level as Ash’s stomach. He doesn’t move at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s lips curl into a dissatisfied frown, his expression morphing into annoyance mixed in with confusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry snickers loudly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright kids, let’s move back to the fire. Tierno, was it? Yeah, Ten isn’t really much of a morning person, so sorry about that. Anyways, if you want to battle him you first have to win against me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s the rules. Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry hoards them like a father hoarding their children and leads them back to the campfire, not once looking back. He doesn’t even let Serena look, telling her to just keep going forward. The blonde male even promises to lend Smeargle, after the supposed battle, to Bonnie to play with. As long as she keeps away from the side that the tents are on. Clemont keeps the other two, Trevor and Shauna, busy with talk of his inventions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash hesitates before he talks. “Ten…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The males expression smoothes out into something unreadable again. Ten matches his gaze with Ash’s and it’s like he’s looking straight into his soul. Like he’s seeing every little detail of him. It makes Ash feel strange. Ten blinks, slow and purposeful before he lowers his line of sight to the hoodie that Ash is wearing. He tilts his head to the side ever so slightly. “Huh,” he breathes out. He doesn’t say anything else, just turns his attention back to Arcanine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Arcanine, move.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fire type growls once more, this time a little more loudly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten’s chest heaves up and down as he gives a frustrated sigh. He steps forwards and growls, a sort of animalistic sound that comes from the back of his throat and deep from his chest. Immediately Arcanine whines and presses the side of his face into Ash’s stomach. Feeling bad for him, Ash rubs the back of his ears and mumbles a quiet, “it’s okay.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a pause and then—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brows raising, fists unclenching, Ten looks like he had just put 1 and 1 together. “Dumbass,” he grits out, stepping forward and ignoring another one of Arcanine’s growls. He pushes the Pokémon’s head away, the tips of his ears are red and he looks somewhat embarrassed. “He’s not, Ash isn’t, he’s—” He cuts himself off, tongue twisting and words fumbling. “Nine, you dumb shit,” he says instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Confused, Ash can’t help but ask. “Ten, what are you on about?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if caught with his hand in a cookie jar, Ten stiffens. “He’s… protecting your stomach. Because… because… Ah, fuck.” His cheeks flush, colouring them light pink. “You… you look good in my clothes.” Ten admits, diverting the conversation another way. “Really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> good.” His eyes keep flickering from the hoodie to the mark on Ash’s neck and then to Arcanine and back again in a cycle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash reaches out and wraps his hand around Ten’s bicep, forcing their line of sights to match. He widens his eyes just so and flutters his eyelashes innocently. “Tell me what’s wrong. Please.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nine is… keeping the weakest of the pack safe?” Ten’s voice wavers at the end of his sentence. “He’s, you know, a canine so, uh,” he clears his throat, “you’re wearing my hoodie and my scent is basically all over you. He thinks, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thinks your carrying my pups now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash’s brain shuts down. There’s not even static. Just silence. Utter silence. He stares past Ten’s shoulder, expression weirdly calm. “Ok.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhhm.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Ash starts, “I look good in your hoodie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Ten’s voice is raw. He places a hand on Ash’s hip, the other one hovers over his stomach before he presses it against there as well. “So fucking good,” he husks out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arcanine opens his jaw to show off his fangs as a threat and Ten sharply turns his head towards him, baring his own teeth and growling from his chest. “He’s not pregnant, Nine. Back off.” </span>
</p><p>Ash’s face burns from the heat that travels to his cheeks and colours them red. “Shut up,” he grumbles, “I don’t want to hear about that anymore.” He then proceeds to lean in closer to Ten and then hides his face into his chest, clearly embarrassed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>it’s a mess. idk what to say about this chapter. i let my muse run wild. oof.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter Five: </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the early afternoon sun, Ash sits comfortably with Arcanine's large head in his lap. Ten sits behind Ash, his arms wrapped around his waist, legs on each side of him, nose tucked into the crook of the younger's neck. Every now and then he'll nuzzle deeper into him, sighing contentedly. He has a shirt on now, a black tee with a simple white pokeball on the top left side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're not paying much attention to the match," Ash says quietly, running his fingers through Arcanine's thick fur. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To the side of them, Shauna whispers something to Serena that has the girl rolling her eyes. She shifts from sitting on her knees to sitting cross legged, whispering something back that has the other girls eyes widening. Trevor fiddles with his fingers beside them, pale cheeks dusting with pink hues. Bonnie is too busy cheering Henry on to notice whatever they're talking about. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the impromptu battlefield field in front of them all, Henry is in the middle of his match with Tierno. Clemont is the referee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry's Minun and Plusle are a chaotic team of cheary thunder that is hounding down Tierno's water duo of Politoad and Ludicolo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Trevor might win," Ash points out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten hums. It's a low sound that reverberates through Ash's being. He idly rubs a thumb over the jean material that covers Ash's hip. "Doubt it," he mumbles, lips grazing over Ash's pulse. He smirks when Ash squirms in his grip, letting out a tiny, little whine. Ten does it again, just to hear the sound once more. He's rewarded with another squirm and another whine, this time accompanied by Ash trying to pull away. It proves to be futile when Ten merely tightens his hold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She's watching," Ash rushes out his words in a quiet hush, obviously embarrassed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Serena?" Ten huffs out in amusement, "she doesn't mind." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the battlefield, Minun's barrage of swift forces Politoad into a nearby tree. The water Pokemon barely manages to stand before it forces itself back into battle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash grips one of Ten's hands. "Not her." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pausing, Ten notes that Ash's grip is quite tight. He clicks his tongue. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How annoying. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Raising his head, Ten leans further into Ash, pressing their cheeks together. He gazes into Serena's general direction and Ash is right, she isn't looking at them. It's that other girl, her friend. Shauna, he thinks her name is. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her pale green eyes are staring right at them. There's a hint of pity along with slight anger in her gaze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten matches her line of sight with his usual </span>
  <em>
    <span>'don't fucking look at me'</span>
  </em>
  <span> glare. From Ash's lap, Arcanine growls. The two actions work immediately because she ducks her head and looks away. A slight shiver wracks her shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Better?" Ten asks, shifting back into his earlier position. He lowers his head to press a kiss behind Ash's ear, murmuring a soft,</span>
  <em>
    <span> "good,"</span>
  </em>
  <span> when the younger male nods his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash scratches Arcanine behind his ears as a thanks. On the battlefield, Minun finishes off Politoad with a thunderbolt. At the same time, Plusle's thunder punch finishes Ludicolo. Clement calls the match to an end. Henry is the winner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"See?" Ten murmurs into Ash's ear, lips touching the outer shell, "Henry's not allowed to lose."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling his cheeks flush with heat, Ash tells Ten to, "shut up."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aw, that's too bad," Serena says loudly enough for everyone to hear, "I wanted to see Ten in action." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bonnie nods. "Yeah, it would have been epic!" Dedene voices it's agreement from beside the girl loudly, small black tail swishing from side to side in excitement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah! I can't believe it. I lost!" Tierno's shoulders slump as he walks towards them, attaching his pokeballs back to his belt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was a good battle," Henry says, walking with his Pokemon at his feet. Minun and Plusle both huff, obviously not agreeing. But Henry sends them a look and they both quiet down. Smeargle spins his tail between his paws, bored. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's right. It was a great match," Trevor voices with a small smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You did you best," Shauna shrugs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Henry you were amazing!" Bonnie quickly stands to her feet and tackles the blonde male into a hug around his waist. "Minun and Plusle too!" She grins. Her eyes sparkle then, "Can't you marry my brother?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clement chokes something out, his face tinting pink as he fumbles over his words and trips over his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry's expression turns amused. He pets the girl's head. "I'll think about it." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"D-don't encourage her!" Clemont yells, making everyone laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Anyways," Serena starts off, "we were just talking about how we all wanted to see Ten in battle." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And since Tierno lost… but you won," Bonnie continues for the older girl, "we don't see why you can't have a match with Ten." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry shifts his gaze towards Ten, quirking up a single brow in silent question. Smeargle grunts, crossing his arms across his chest. His dark brown eyes easily find Arcanine's own and they narrow in challenge. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arcanine gives a low, warning growl, baring his sharp teeth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ash smiles and pets the canine soothingly. He turns around in Ten's grasp, places his palm onto the older males cheek. Ten furrows his brows, curling his lips into a deep scowl. "No," he grumbles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please?" Ash asks, fluttering his eyelashes. He makes sure his next words are barely but above a whisper, "for me?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At once, Ten's expression changes. He detaches himself from Ash with ease and stands to his feet. He doesn't face anyone as he walks onto the battlefield field, shoulders straight and posture easy. "C'mon Nine. We're gonna kick Henry's ass. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Again</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arcanine happily follows after him, tail swishing excitedly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Arrogant much?" Shauna scowls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry's smile is fond. "It's alright," he says. "Let's go, Smeargle."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clemont is the referee once more. He calls the start of the match. Ten's choice is Arcanine and the Pokemon proudly stands over the ground, head raised high.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other side of the field, Henry talks to Smeargle and after a small pause the Pokemon agrees to whatever its trainer says. With confidence, Henry throws a pokeball into the air and out comes a Swanna.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Serena pulls out her Pokedex and Bonnie peers at it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Swanna, the white bird Pokemon. It administers sharp, powerful pecks with its bill. It whips its long neck to deliver forceful repeated strikes."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Swanna's a water and flying type. An obvious advantage over a fire type," Trevor points out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," Ash can't help but grin, "that sort of thing is useless against Ten and Nine." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry and Swanna start off with bubble beam that Arcanine easily dodges around. The bubble beam is then quickly followed by a wing attack. Swanna flies off into the sky and then comes back down, a quick blur that makes her wings shine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten doesn't bother calling anything out, as if in perfect sync, Arcanine waits until Swanna is barely but a breath away from him and then he ducks his large body to the ground, nullifying the wing attack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That was smooth!" Tierno awe's. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> smooth," Shauna rolls her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> was," Serena huffs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Swanna flies back to her side of the battlefield, ruffling her wings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you done playing around?" Ten asks, tilting his head ever so slightly to the side. His eyes are dark and his expression is annoyed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry sighs. He rubs the back of his head almost sheepishly. "Sorry. I'll make sure to be serious now." He clears his throat, blue eyes narrowing. "Swanna," he calls out, "use rain dance." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Above the battlefield, fluffy clouds gather. They mold together and grey. Rain then starts pouring down, soft and slow. A blue glow encases around Swanna and she makes a loud sound when she opens her beak. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raising a hand, Henry yells out, "double team!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A flock of Swanna appear, covering the battlefield. Arcanine's nose twitches trying to scent the air. However, the rain makes it hard for him. The large Pokemon then lowers his snout to the ground, shoulders hunching as he does so. His ears flick, awaiting for the tiniest hint of a sound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten breathes in and breathes out, slow and languid. He whistles, a sound that doesn't quite reach everyone's ears, it's low pitched and soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arcanine's tail twitches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A beat of silence and then the canine charges forward, snapping his jaws at doubles of Swanna and sinking his large teeth into their wings. When he reaches the last few, they double once more into their original number. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ice beam," Henry orders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the Swanna's open their beaks, ice forming in a pretty glittery facade. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arcanine doesn't care. He tears into them anyway, shards of ice sticking to his thick fur. He finds the original one eventually and instead of using his fangs he opts for using his claws, fire splintering off of them and slashing onto Swanna who doesn't dodge in time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From then on the battle is brutal. Arcanine doesn't tire, not even for a second. Instead of using any of his special moves, he uses only normal ones. Like tackle and bite. And when he doesn't use those, he uses his tail to swipe at Swanna, growling triumphantly when it works. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Swanna is stubborn though. And she holds her ground, dodges if sometimes only by a hair. She uses whatever advantage she can get. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Swanna starts to falter, her movements tiring, Henry grins, bright and wide. "Alright Swanna, it's time to use brave bird!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With matted fur, Arcanine waits until the white bird now glazed over in blue flames charges right at him. Snapping his jaws open, Arcanine tilts his head and bites down on Swanna's long neck. Immediately, flames flow from the corners of his mouth and the collision causes a minor explosion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Smoke billows into the air and then slowly eases out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who won? Who won? I can't see!" Bonnie runs her hands through her hair in frustration. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hold on…" Serena trails off, squinting her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. ive been cancelled</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hey guys. This isn't a new chapter, unfortunately. I just wanted to let you all know that wattpad cancelled me. Basically they refuse to give me my old account back -- which was @inkpilferer. And now I've made a new one under the username @inkyharu. </p><p>So, the reason that I haven't been writing or updating anything is because I've been fighting for my old account for over 3 weeks. Yesterday was the final straw and ultimately I just gave up and made a new one. </p><p>which means that I've lost over 1k followers and over 200k reads :(  which has left me very, very upset but <em>whatever</em>. </p><p>It would be great is you all followed me on my new account and got around to reading and voting on my  fics there. It would be super duper fucking awesome if you spread the word too. </p><p>Thanks guys ♡ oh! and i'll make sure to write a new chapter soon!</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>